Reliable Marker for Alzheimer’s
Baton Rouge – Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge recently released a study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease identifying a particularly reliable marker for identifying early stages of dementia: the inability to recognize faces. The study centered on several hundred people, aged 60 or older, ranging from people with Alzheimer’s disease to those without symptoms.
Grant to Fund Tumor Research
Shreveport – The National Cancer Institute recently awarded Kevin Pruitt, Ph.D., an assistant professor of molecular and cellular physiology at Louisiana Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, a grant of more than $1.3 million. The grant is titled “Mechanisms of Epigenetic Gene Silencing” and will investigate how the alterations of tumor suppressors contribute to the production of tumors.
Regional Medical Center Gets Accredited
Lafayette – The Society of Pain Centers recently granted the Regional Medical Center of Acadiana the designation of Cycle III Chest Pain Accreditation. The center is the fourth facility in the state and the only one in the region to meet this designation. The SPC accreditation means that the hospital has achieved a certain level of expertise in dealing with the symptoms of a heart attack.
Heart Disease and Diabetes Link Explored
New Orleans – T. Cooper Woods, Ph.D., Ochsner staff scientist and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, released a paper in the journal Endocrinology detailing how changes in insulin resistance lead to increased cardiovascular disease in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. These findings could help scientists and doctors develop new ways to treat heart disease in patients with diabetes.
Cholesterol Meds Could Reduce Colon Cancer Rates
Baton Rouge – A study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute that will take place at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, among select centers nationwide, will evaluate the effect of a cholesterol-lowering drug, Rosuvastatin (commonly known as Crestor), and its potential role in reducing colon cancer. The study will involve nearly 2,000 patients who have recently been diagnosed with early- stage colon cancer and who are not already taking medication to reduce cholesterol.
